OU officials declined comment again on Friday about how conference realignment could affect the Sooners. However, Athletic Director Joe Castiglione said he is still working to keep the Big 12 Conference together.

Castiglione and Associate Athletic Director Kenny Mossman said they would not comment about where OU would go if the Big 12 broke up because no decision has been made.

"When the time is right, we will [make Joe Castiglione available] to media for those kinds of interviews," Mossman said by e-mail. "For now, with the situation still fluid and with decision-makers still engaged in meetings and research, the wisest move for us is to wait until we can comment on solid fact."

Sources for ESPN.com said the Pac-10 extended OU and Oklahoma State University an invitation to join its conference, along with Texas, Texas Tech and Texas A&M. The University of Colorado already accepted an invitation to the Pac-10 on Thursday morning.

In an e-mail to The Daily on Wednesday, Mossman said regardless of how the realignment shakes out, OU is in good hands.

“We believe the Big 12 is a great conference, but if the landscape changes, we are confident that our administration will act in our best interest,” he said.

With the Buffaloes leading the charge toward a Big 12-Pac-10 merger, OSU appears to be next in line to follow the Buffaloes, according to a TMZ.com report.

OSU spokesman Kevin Klintworth said the report is false, but said university officials have been told by the University of Texas that OSU will be included if a move is made.

OSU President Burns Hargis said the school remains committed to the Big 12 despite Colorado's decision to leave.

Hargis said Oklahoma State has invested heavily to be competitive in the Big 12 and he believes that will give the school options if rumors about other teams leaving the conference turn out to be true.

The university completed a $286-million renovation of its football stadium in 2009. Most of the project was funded through about $250 million in donations from billionaire alumnus T. Boone Pickens.

Klintworth reiterated Hargis' commitment to the Big 12, but said OSU would have to evaluate its options if more teams leave.

The Pac-10 issued a statement Thursday morning to announce Colorado as the league's newest member — reportedly the first of many.

Commissioner Larry Scott said this is a historic moment for the Pac-10.

"The University of Colorado is a great fit for the Conference both academically and athletically and we are incredibly excited to welcome Colorado to the Pac-10,” Scott said.

Colorado's president said his school was a "perfect match" for the Pac-10 conference.

"The University of Colorado is a perfect match — academically and athletically — with the Pac-10," Colorado President Bruce D. Benson said in a statement.

A press conference has been scheduled for 2 p.m. today at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo.

Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe released a statement Thursday afternoon acknowledging Colorado's decision to join the Pac-10.

Beebe said he is still working to keep the Big 12 intact.

"I continue to work through the process that was agreed upon last week by our Board of Directors to address membership issues, and are working tirelessly towards the long-term viability of the Big 12," Beebe said.

Colorado's move may signal the end for the Big 12, as Nebraska is set to announce its move to the Big Ten.

ESPN's Joe Schad reported Thursday that from the Pac-10's perspective, it's "simply a matter of who signs next."

• Click to see how conference realignment could shake up the Big 12, others

The Daily's Luke Atkinson and Ricky Ly contributed to this report

Comments

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TheJR 1 year, 11 months ago

SEC would be more fun, but PAC-10 would be more practical, if the Texas schools + OSU went PAC-10 as well. I'd hate to see the Big XII South get pulled into different conferences, it's just unfortunate that it seems to be a possibility at this point.

This is literally the best twitter I have ever read: http://twitter.com/Pac16Conference

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